Nika insurrection

destruction of Hagia Sophia

...St. John Chrysostom, then patriarch of Constantinople) and enlarged by the Roman emperor Constans I. The restored building was rededicated in 415 by Theodosius II. The church was burned again in the Nika insurrection of January 532, a circumstance that gave Justinian I an opportunity to envision a splendid replacement.

history of Byzantine Empire

In the same year of 532, Justinian survived a revolt in Constantinople, stemming from the Nika riot, which initially threatened his life no less than his throne but, in the event, only strengthened his position. To understand the course of events, it is essential to remember that Constantinople, like other great East Roman cities, had often to depend upon its urban militia, or demes, to defend...

role of Justinian I

Government attempts to root out abuses and its attacks on vested interest, whether of rich or poor, were unpopular. In 532 public discontent was voiced most dramatically in Constantinople by the Nika revolt (“Nika”—“Conquer,” or “Win”—was the cry of rival factions at the races in the hippodrome). The city parties known as the Greens and the Blues...

suppression by Belisarius

...a subsequent defeat the following year at Sura (Callinicum), he emerged as the hero of the war by the time Justinian negotiated its end. Belisarius was in Constantinople, the capital, when the Nika Insurrection broke out there in January 532, and he further gained the emperor’s confidence by commanding the troops that ended the episode by massacring the rioters. About this time, meanwhile,...